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'Bloatware' Becoming a Problem On Android Phones

Posted by timothy on from the maybe-they're-just-pregnant dept.

elrous0 writes "According to a recent article in Wired, consumers of many new Android devices (including Samsung's Vibrant and HTC's EVO) are complaining about the increasing presence of something that has plagued consumer PC's for years: Bloatware (or, to use the more kind euphemism, 'Pre-installed software' that the computer manufacturer gets paid to include on a new PC). Unfortunately the bloatware (aka 'crapware') that comes with these phones has a nasty quality not found on even the most bloated PC: it can't be removed. Many angry consumers have begun to complain openly about this disturbing trend."

3 of 415 comments (clear)

  1. I'm Confused... by RobotRunAmok · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I thought android was the "Open" one...

    1. Re:I'm Confused... by nine-times · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Funniest thing is that people have said that to me, and they weren't joking. Part of the reason I got an HTC Incredible is that everyone kept talking about how open Android phones are. Then I was like, "Ok, now how do I get WiFi tethering on this bad-boy?"

      The response was, "Oh, it's easy. You just have to root it."

      "So you're saying I have to hack it. Same way I can do whatever I want with my iPhone, but I have to hack it first."

      "No, no. It's totally different. Android is open."

      "But you have to hack it in order to be able to do what you want?"

      "Yes."

      *sigh* "Ok, so how do I root an Incredible?"

      "Oh, you can't. Someone will probably figure it out sooner or later, but for now you're just stuck with what you have."

      "But I could jailbreak an iPhone now and do whatever I want with it. People already figured it out."

      "Yeah, I guess."

      "How is this more open again?"

      "Because with Android, you can do whatever you want! It's Linux, after all."

  2. The Great Thing About Android by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Is that phone makers can do anything they want with it.

    The horrible thing about Android is that phone makers can do anything they want with it.

    “It’s different from phone to phone and operator to operator,” says Keith Nowak, spokesman for HTC. “But in general, the apps are put there to meet the operator’s business and revenue needs.”

    Nowak must be new to PR. He was supposed to spin it as "free apps, everybody wins!" But instead he handed out a healthy dosage of the truth. Enjoy it, it rarely happens.

    --
    My work here is dung.